Motivating young people is not all fun and games

by Les Mills
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Posted in Instructors, Youth, Fitness

Inspiring and engaging young people is not all fun and games, there’s a combination of unique talents that need to be thrown into the mix.

Inspiring and engaging young people takes talent. You can’t simply wave a magic wand and have fun and enjoyment filter down from above. As any parent or caregiver will attest to, there are plenty of skills and techniques that go into successfully getting children to do what is best for them. Getting them to fall in love with what is best for them is a whole new ball game.

Les Mills has specifically designed BORN TO MOVE™ classes to help children fall in love with physical activity. The scientifically-backed programming has been carefully crafted to inspire a life-long love of movement and the highly-trained teachers are masters in youth engagement.

BORN TO MOVE™ teachers exude energy, confidence and a playful nature. They are fit, with good technique, leadership skills, patience, authenticity and an element of cool.

The best teachers are playful, proactive, natural leaders … professional, authentic role models who can master the moves

Bas Hollander

Bas Hollander is a Les Mills Master Trainer who travels the world training BORN TO MOVE™ teachers. Ask him the secret to inspiring youngsters and he says there is no single trait or skill. “The best teachers are playful adults who are proactive, natural leaders. They’re confident, energetic and vibrant. At the same time they’re professional and authentic role models who can master all the moves.”

According to Erica Emerson, who is helping facilities across the United States add BORN TO MOVE™ classes to their offering, a genuine, deep-rooted interest in helping children achieve healthier lifestyles is key. She adds that teachers need to be keen to fully adopt different characters and movement patterns. “The best teachers don’t worry about looking silly to other adults, they are 100% committed to the children in their class and will totally immerse themselves in the movements and moments they’re sharing with them.”

It seems that the concept of being cool is relative. “Being cool just means being totally confident and owning who you are,” says Les Mills Master Trainer Kendall Kimball. She stresses that as an adult you should never pretend to like everything children like, listening is the key. “Young people are looking for self-expression and a sense of belonging, by being a confident leader who listens to them you can facilitate this.”

The best teachers don’t worry about looking silly to other adults.

Erica Emerson

While there are numerous attributes that an effective youth leader needs to bring to the table, BORN TO MOVE™ teachers are certainly not left to go it alone. Using Les Mills’ youth-centered teaching module the intensive BORN TO MOVE™ training arms teachers with a suite of techniques that help them effectively engage young people.

Following the training teachers can gain a highly-regarded and globally-recognized certification. They will then be perfectly positioned to contribute to the health and vitality of young people’s lives and become a champion of change for youth in their community.

If you think you have what it takes to become a BORN TO MOVE™ teacher let us know.